Ruth Badger
Encyclopedia
Ruth Badger is a British businesswoman, best known as the 2006 runner-up in the second series of the UK version of reality TV show The Apprentice
, in which contestants compete for a £100,000-a-year job working for British business magnate Sir Alan Sugar. She has also presented her own TV show, Badger or Bust
, and done various other TV work.
Badger has her own consultancy firm, Ruth Badger Consultancy Ltd, with offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, and runs North West Money, a company which provides finance for homeowners.
and then at Our Lady & St Chad RC comprehensive school, leaving in 1995 with 3 GCSEs. She then worked as a civil servant at her local Jobcentre. During this period she also worked as a barmaid at several pubs in Wolverhampton
and as a steward
at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club. After several years as a civil servant, she started working in the finance industry, earning "National Employee of the year" awards with GE Capital
in Wolverhampton
. Ruth went on to greater success in 2002 with Compass Finance Limited near Manchester. She played a fundamental role in its stock market floatation, increased turnover and achieved an executive level position at the young age of 24.
Badger excelled in many of the task challenges, most notably the car sales in week six and the flat-letting in week nine. She was brought into the boardroom on four occasions and had altercations with fellow contestants Mani Sandher in week five and Syed Ahmed
in week ten.
During the airing of The Apprentice Badger came to the attention of the British press. She is a lesbian
and has now divorced her husband who sold their story to the tabloids, revealing that Badger had been in relationships with two other women while they were still together.
Badger appeared on The Apprentice spin-off show The Apprentice: You're Fired!
on 27 May 2008 following Michael Sophocles.
Badger has many "celebrity" fans including Phil Neville, Timmy Mallett
, former Worcestershire Cricketer Tim Curtis
and sibling pop duo and X Factor
contestants Journey South
, who said after meeting Badger at their mini-gig at Tesco
in Hull
on 28 October 2007, that when they are not performing they like "nothing more than eating a Chinese and watching 'Badger or Bust'".
, for which she competed against fellow The Apprentice contestant Syed Ahmed and Big Brother 7 housemate Nikki Grahame
, amongst others. Badger failed to make it through to the second stage of online voting and the award was eventually won by Grahame.
, which gave "budding entrepreneur
s" the chance to showcase their inventions for the nation. Viewers and a studio audience eventually chose a winner who was given a £100,000 investment to build and market their idea.
, which started on 8 May 2007 and finished in autumn 2007. In this show Badger used her sales expertise to help failing businesses.
show 8 Out Of 10 Cats
. On 4 December 2008, Badger appeared on the BBC
show Bargain Hunt Famous Finds
against socialite Tamara Beckwith
.
Badger is also a popular after dinner speaker.
The Apprentice (UK)
The Apprentice is a British reality television series in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a £100,000-a-year job as an apprentice to the British business magnate Lord Sugar in series one to six...
, in which contestants compete for a £100,000-a-year job working for British business magnate Sir Alan Sugar. She has also presented her own TV show, Badger or Bust
Badger or Bust
Badger or Bust was a British reality television series in which Ruth Badger helped to turn failing businesses into successful companies. The series was produced by Diverse Production for Sky One the series premiered on 8 May 2007...
, and done various other TV work.
Badger has her own consultancy firm, Ruth Badger Consultancy Ltd, with offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, and runs North West Money, a company which provides finance for homeowners.
Biography
Badger was educated at Wodensfield Primary School in WednesfieldWednesfield
Wednesfield lies at , and is located to the northeast of Wolverhampton city centre on the northern fringe of the West Midlands conurbation...
and then at Our Lady & St Chad RC comprehensive school, leaving in 1995 with 3 GCSEs. She then worked as a civil servant at her local Jobcentre. During this period she also worked as a barmaid at several pubs in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and as a steward
Stewardship
Stewardship is an ethic that embodies responsible planning and management of resources. The concept of stewardship has been applied in diverse realms, including with respect to environment, economics, health, property, information, and religion, and is linked to the concept of sustainability...
at Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club. After several years as a civil servant, she started working in the finance industry, earning "National Employee of the year" awards with GE Capital
GE Capital
GE Capital is the financial services unit of General Electric, one of five major units. Its various divisions include GE Capital Aviation Services, GE Capital Real Estate, GE Energy Financial Services and GE Money....
in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
. Ruth went on to greater success in 2002 with Compass Finance Limited near Manchester. She played a fundamental role in its stock market floatation, increased turnover and achieved an executive level position at the young age of 24.
The Apprentice
Prior to appearing on The Apprentice, Ruth Badger worked as a senior management executive for Compass Finance.Badger excelled in many of the task challenges, most notably the car sales in week six and the flat-letting in week nine. She was brought into the boardroom on four occasions and had altercations with fellow contestants Mani Sandher in week five and Syed Ahmed
Syed Ahmed
Syed Ahmed is a British-Bangladeshi entrepreneur, businessman and television personality. He is the founder and CEO of the hand and body drier company SA Vortex. He is best known for his 2006 appearance in the second UK series of the BBC reality television show The Apprentice, in which contestants...
in week ten.
During the airing of The Apprentice Badger came to the attention of the British press. She is a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
and has now divorced her husband who sold their story to the tabloids, revealing that Badger had been in relationships with two other women while they were still together.
Badger appeared on The Apprentice spin-off show The Apprentice: You're Fired!
The Apprentice: You're Fired!
The Apprentice: You're Fired!, sometimes named You're Fired!, The Apprentice: You're Hired! or You're Hired!, is a British television show made by the BBC and filmed at Riverside Studios as a spin-off from the reality TV hit The Apprentice...
on 27 May 2008 following Michael Sophocles.
Badger has many "celebrity" fans including Phil Neville, Timmy Mallett
Timmy Mallett
Timmy Mallett is a TV presenter and broadcaster in the UK. He achieved cult status on BBC Radio Oxford and Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and later on TV-am...
, former Worcestershire Cricketer Tim Curtis
Tim Curtis
Tim Curtis is a former England cricketer. A right-handed batsman, Curtis was a prolific scorer for Worcestershire and county captain between 1992 and 1995...
and sibling pop duo and X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
contestants Journey South
Journey South
Journey South are an English singing duo, consisting of brothers Andy and Carl Pemberton. They are originally from Middlesbrough, Teesside, and performed in pubs and clubs throughout the United Kingdom for over eight years, prior to achieving third place on the second UK series of television talent...
, who said after meeting Badger at their mini-gig at Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
on 28 October 2007, that when they are not performing they like "nothing more than eating a Chinese and watching 'Badger or Bust'".
National Television Awards nomination
Badger was nominated for a National Television AwardNational Television Awards
The National Television Awards is a British television awards ceremony, broadcast by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. The National Television Awards are the most prominent ceremony for which the results are voted on by the general public. Because of the way the awards are decided, winners are...
, for which she competed against fellow The Apprentice contestant Syed Ahmed and Big Brother 7 housemate Nikki Grahame
Nikki Grahame
Nicola Rachele-Beth Grahame is an English model, columnist and television personality, who rose to fame in the UK when she was chosen to be a housemate on Big Brother 7 in 2006...
, amongst others. Badger failed to make it through to the second stage of online voting and the award was eventually won by Grahame.
The Big Idea
Badger featured on The Big Idea on Sky OneSky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
, which gave "budding entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
s" the chance to showcase their inventions for the nation. Viewers and a studio audience eventually chose a winner who was given a £100,000 investment to build and market their idea.
Badger or Bust
Badger was the star of her own show, Badger or Bust, on Sky OneSky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
, which started on 8 May 2007 and finished in autumn 2007. In this show Badger used her sales expertise to help failing businesses.
Television and other appearances
Badger has also appeared on episodes of Big Brother's Little Brother and as a panellist on Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
show 8 Out Of 10 Cats
8 Out of 10 Cats
8 out of 10 Cats is a television comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for Channel 4. It was first broadcast on 3 June 2005. The show is based on statistics and opinion polls, and draws on polls produced by a variety of organizations and new polls commissioned for the programme, carried out by...
. On 4 December 2008, Badger appeared on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show Bargain Hunt Famous Finds
Bargain Hunt
Bargain Hunt is a British television programme in which two pairs of contestants are challenged to buy antiques at a fair and then sell them in an auction for a profit. It has aired on BBC One since 13 March 2000 in a daytime version and from 22 August 2002 to 13 November 2004 in a primetime version...
against socialite Tamara Beckwith
Tamara Beckwith
Tamara Beckwith is an English socialite, noted for her coverage in glossy celebrity magazines such as OK! and Hello! magazine.-Early life:...
.
Badger is also a popular after dinner speaker.